Recently, Henlius successfully hosted its second Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) meeting of 2024 in Shanghai, China. The gathering was held in a hybrid format, incorporating both in-person and virtual participation. With a focus on latest scientific findings and industry practices in R&D of innovative therapeutics, the SAB meeting provided insights and guidance on Henlius' innovative layout and product portfolio, so as to accelerate the implementation of the company’s innovation strategy, addressing unmet medical needs of patients.
Henlius' SAB members including Professor Christopher Garcia, a leading expert of molecular and cellular physiology, and of structural biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, members of the US National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine; Professor Alberto Mantovani, a renowned expert in the fields of immunology and inflammation, Scientific Director and Emeritus Professor at Humanitas Clinical and Research Center in Italy; Professor Kun-Liang Guan, a biochemist and cell biologist, Chair Professor at Westlake University College of Life Sciences; Professor Yang-Xin Fu, an expert in the field of tumor targeting immunotherapies, Endowed Professor at Tsinghua University School of Medicine; Professor Lixin Zhang, Foreign Member of Academia Europaea, Director of National Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology; Professor Wei Tao, Farokhzad Family Distinguished Chair for Innovation (Endowed Chair) and Principal Investigator at Brigham and Women's Hospital; and expert guests including Professor Jian Zhang, Chief Physician of Department of Medical Oncology at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, and Professor Yu Xue, Deputy Director of the Department of Rheumatology at Huashan Hospital of Fudan University; Mr Qiyu Chen, Co-CEO of Fosun International; Dr Xingli Wang, Executive President of Fosun Pharma, Co-CEO of Innovative Medicines Division and CEO of Global R&D Center; along with Henlius management team members including Dr Jason Zhu, Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Guo, Senior Vice President, Dr Jijun Yuan, Chief Scientific Officer, and scientists from Henlius' Innovation Center, attended the meeting.
The scientific advisors and Henlius' scientists shared insights and engaged in-depth discussion regarding development landscape and promising directions of oncology immunotherapy, research trends and cutting-edge technologies in the treatment of immunoinflammatory diseases, as well as emerging novel therapies and disease areas. The discussions covers target selection, molecular design, competitive landscape, and clinical strategies of Henlius' core innovative products. The SAB members also conducted analysis on therapeutic bottlenecks and potential opportunities, providing constructive feedback regarding the R&D layout and innovative strategy of Henlius.
Dr Jason Zhu welcomed the participants and remarked, "I am delighted to see our leading scientists and clinical experts gather here to oversee and refine Henlius' innovation and R&D results. In Henlius, we emphasized the forward-thinking and efficiency in innovation. However, we also noted the top priority of identifying and understanding patients’ real unmet medical needs. It is only by this way can guide us in developing differentiated innovative treatments that truly benefit patients."
Dr Jijun Yuan made his debut at the SAB meeting, he said, "We are seeing a rapid expansion in Henlius R&D pipeline. Leveraging the opportunity provided by the SAB meeting, we have received a wealth of constructive feedback from SAB members and guests. Their insights into Henlius' core projects, from both scientific research and clinical practice, have been profoundly beneficial to R&D team. Moving forward, we will integrate the advisements from SAB meeting to further optimize our product pipeline, efficiently offering high-quality and differentiated innovative products."
Mr Qiyu Chen attended the meeting and expressed higher expectations for Henlius' innovation layout and efforts. He stated, "The in-depth discussions have illuminated opportunities for optimizing Henlius' innovation strategy, guiding us to better identify and address unmet clinical needs. Looking ahead, we expect the team to further integrate innovative resources, refine the pipeline structure, and fully leverage cutting-edge technologies to drive breakthroughs in innovation. Additionally, by following the latest R&D trends and seeking original innovation, we can facilitate the transformation of emerging technologies into industry productivity, creating greater social value for the whole industry."
Focusing on unmet medical needs, Henlius will continue to coordinate its strategy of innovation from an international perspective, closely collaborate with SAB members and external experts to accelerate the development of ground-breaking treatments, ultimately benefiting more patients around the world.
About Henlius SAB
Henlius Innovation Center is committed to developing international perspective, coordinating innovative R&D strategies, and has established a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) comprising several world-class experts to draw upon cutting-edge research concepts and valuable guidances. Since its establishment in 2018, Henlius has successfully held multiple SAB meetings, to discuss R&D projects, brainstorm frontier technology trends, targeting unmet clinical needs.
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